1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of dishwasher and, more particularly, to a system for assuring alignment between a door and a tub of a dishwasher.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In a typical dishwasher, washing fluid is pumped from a sump into upper and lower wash arms such that kitchenware retained on vertically spaced racks within a tub of the dishwasher will be sprayed with the washing fluid for cleaning purposes. The washing fluid is heated, filtered and recirculated. Prior to recirculating the washing fluid, the fluid is directed through one or more filters to remove soil from the fluid, with the soil being collected in a chamber. Periodically, the system will be purged in order to drain the collection chamber of the soil.
A conventional, domestic front loading dishwasher tub is supported on a kitchen floor under a countertop and includes top, bottom, opposing side and rear walls. In addition, the tub is formed with a low-level front wall which projects upward from the bottom wall in order to aid in containing the washing fluid within the tub. The front wall terminates in an upstanding lip having an upper edge which defines, at least in part, a frontal opening that is adapted to be selectively sealed off by a door mounted for pivotal movement relative to the tub. On the other hand, the door is typically formed of multiple components, particularly inner and outer door panels.
When the door is open, it is important that the bottom of the door remain sufficiently rearward of the front lip of the tub. Otherwise, a gap can be established between the bottom of the door and the front lip which would enable liquids or food spilled on the inner door panel, during loading or the like of the dishwasher, to drop onto the kitchen floor when the door is closed. This problem can be a significant issue, particularly given the fact that the front lip of a dishwasher can deform over time in the order of approximately ½ inch (1.27 cm) from a design position. Therefore, since the front lip has a tendency to bow or otherwise shift over time, a dishwasher originally designed to establish a reasonable overlap of the front lip can eventually still develop a rather large gap that can result in undesirable leakage.
The deformation of the front lip can also create certain problems in pivoting of the dishwasher door. For instance, the front lip can deform to such an extent wherein the door will engage the front lip upon closing. When this happens, an undesirable snapping or popping noise is generated. This is a particular issue in connection with dishwashers designed to have an initial, minimal clearance between the door and front lip.
Based on the above, there exists a need in the art of dishwashers for a system which maintains a proper alignment between a tub lip and a door wherein deformations of the front lip are accommodated in a manner that prevents the development of any leakage gap, while assuring a quiet and efficient opening and closing of the door.